Chronicle Books | 978-1452170633
I’ve known author Karen Jameson since the mid-90s when we were both teachers at Peachland School in Newhall, California. The summer I moved from teaching upper grade students down to first grade, Karen took over the incoming class. Over the next 15 or so years, with each of us teaching different grades, our paths overlapped mostly at staff meetings and school-wide events.
But then, for my last three years at Peachland, Karen and I became 3rd grade teammates. That’s when we really got to know one another. Shortly before I retired and moved to Arizona, Karen shared her dream of writing picture books. And so began a fun journey for the two of us. First, as critique partners and, then, cheerleaders for the new books we were each selling!
Karen’s latest, WOODLAND DREAMS, is a gem. Soothing and lyrical, this cozy bedtime read, with luminous illustrations by illustrator Marc Boutavant, is sure to be a new classic.
DW: Welcome, Karen! First things first. Congratulations on your second book, WOODLAND DREAMS. It’s the perfect picture book/poem to send little ones off to sleep. The words are beautifully written – so comforting. And the illustrations? Simply glorious!
KJ: Thanks, Dianne! I hope it brings sweet dreams to young readers. Marc’s art is stunning with its brilliant showcase of autumn colors and attention to detail!
DW: This picture book had an interesting journey to publication. I think of it this way: Conference + Editor Roundtable = One Happy Ending! Can you share the story behind the sale of Woodland Dreams?
KJ: Absolutely! I’d just arrived at the 2017 SCBWI Golden Gate Conference, checked in and picked up my registration packet. A quick glance revealed I’d been assigned to the Editor Roundtable led by Naomi Kirsten of Chronicle Books.
Soon after the opening keynote, I made my way to the assigned building and nervously sat down with six other hopefuls. Following an explanation of the roundtable format – ten minutes for each author to read and receive feedback- the event began. When my turn came, I passed out copies of Woodland Dreams, read it in its entirety, and paused for feedback. Little did I know the next few minutes would be life changing! Naomi didn’t skip a beat before pronouncing it wonderful and asking to take it to acquisitions! It was one of those serendipitous moments authors dream about.
DW: What an amazing story! This is your second rhyming picture book (MOON BABIES was first), and you have two more (FARM LULLABY and WHERE WEE ONES GO) in what I’ll call your “lullaby series” with Chronicle Books.
Each of these books is in rhyme, and your talent is obvious, but rhyming is not as easy as it looks. Can you talk a little about your process? I’m particularly interested in hearing how you arrived at the 2-part structure for each animal’s poem:
Come home, Big Paws.
Berry Picker.
Honey trickster
Shadows deepen in the glen.
Lumber back inside your den.
The first line – Come home … – sets up a structure that you repeat with each animal, and the effect is like snuggling up in a cozy blanket, peaceful and calm.
Was that beginning there from the start? Or was it something that you discovered as you worked? Talk a little about the process of choosing rhymes that not only move the story forward, but are also surprising and simply perfect!
KJ: Yes, the Come home… line was in my first draft. I’d been thinking about how mothers call their children in for the night and imagined what Mother Nature might say to each woodland creature. I wanted her words to be sweet and playful – endearments or nicknames offering clues to the animals’ identities.
I was playing around with some potential structures and remembered a literary device called kennings, which poet, Laura Purdie Salas, used very effectively in her A Leaf Can Be… and other A _ Can Be titles. Shortly thereafter, the lines, berry picker/honey trickster came to me and set up the pattern for the rest of the book. It was a lot of fun coming up with the kennings – a process of trial and error.
A nonfiction couplet completes each stanza, revealing the animal homes and setting the stage for sleep.
© Marc Boutavant
DW: People who don’t write picture books don’t always realize that even informational fiction, like WOODLAND DREAMS, can require a fair amount of research. Can you talk about the animals you chose and the setting you had in mind when writing this book? Did you include illustrator notes when you submitted the text?
KJ: North American coniferous forests were my inspiration and I researched the animals found in that habitat. I intentionally chose animals that were fairly well known and included a mix of mammals, birds, reptiles, etc. There were no illustration notes attached.
DW: Were there any pleasant surprises working on this book?
KJ: Being paired with talented illustrator, Marc Boutavant, was a dream come true! His artistic vision of a little girl sketching in the forest, added a new and exciting dimension to the story.
DW: What can your readers look forward to next?
KJ: As you mentioned above, two additional lullabies are forthcoming from Chronicle Books! Farm Lullaby releases in Fall ’21 and Where Wee Ones Go releases in Spring ’22. Although I can’t give any details just yet, a new nonfiction title is awaiting announcement. More picture books are in the works!
Learn more about Karen on her website: karenljameson.com
Follow Karen:
- Twitter: @KarenJameson15
Interviews and Lists that celebrate WOODLAND DREAMS:
